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life, NYC, travel, vegan, vegetarian, whole grains

Weekend in Pennsylvania + Whole Foods Salad Bar Hack

September 10, 2017September 11, 2017by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

Another weekend in the books! I found out late last week I still couldn’t move into my apartment (that was supposed to be ready 9/1…WTF) so I went to PA to visit a friend because I figured might as well!

Friday:

Friday I had class pretty much all day. Made better by free coffee and a bagel.

After class, I was hungry and needed a good meal. I didn’t know what I wanted but knew I wanted all of the things. Not having access to a kitchen has been stressful AF these past few weeks.

Anyways, I hacked the salad bar and posted about it on my Insta stories and a lot of people seemed to like the idea so I’m sharing it again here:

I ate this at Whole Foods and was stuffing my face across the table from a super cute guy drinking kombucha and reading like a civilized human. Lol. What can I say I’m a savage.

After that, I visited my friend Joanna in BK for a few hours, then headed to my friend’s apt where I’ve been staying for a few hours of sleep.

Saturday:

Saturday I was up bright and early to visit my friend Amanda in Pennsylvania. We took a lot of the same classes at NYU and she’s basically the best. I was so grateful she let me come visit this weekend.

I nommed on a banana while waiting for the bus. I also redeemed a free drink from some online promo thing from DD.

Naturally, since it said I could select any size, I was super gross and picked the biggest size. #somuchcoffee

I got into Philly around 10:30 and popped my head into Reading Terminal Market. Yum!

My friend graciously picked me up and drove me to her house.

Once we got there, we headed out to her epic garden to gather some goodies. She’s quite the gardener. #goals

Using some fresh tomatoes and cucs, I made a hummus lunch (with some pb for dessert) and we enjoyed the noms while watched Bravo. #perfection

After that we took her doggos on a quick nearby. It was beautiful! PA reminds me a lot of Wisco.

Back at her place, I showered and fell asleep for a few hours. Holy cow a real bed felt so nice.

Post shower/nap, Amanda picked a butternut squash from her garden and started roasting it to make butternut squash black bean burgers.

She also made a farro salad with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, artichoke heart, oil, vinegar, and salt & pepper. Yum!

A movie was next on the agenda. I fell asleep during it on the couch, then went up to bed around 12 and went straight back to sleep.

Sunday:

Sunday I slept til 8 which is super late from me but I think my body really needed the sleep. Breakfast with cinnamon apple oatmeal with almond butter.

We decided to go apple picking at a nearby orchard next, which was fun.

Applesss!!!

Lunch was delicious leftovers with a side of more Bravo.

Now I’m on the mega bus back into the city. Womp womp. Wondering if I can ever move into my apt…at this point I’m so frustrated I can hardly stand it.

Bleh. New York is kinda the worst tbh. I was really apprehensive to move back here and after a lovely weekend in PA am kinda like…what am I doing?

Anyways, I’m going to finish some readings for tm but thanks for stopping by! What’d you do this weekend? Comment below I love to hear from you!

gluten free, Recipe Redux, vegan, vegetarian

Spicy Apple Jicama Salad

January 21, 2015January 22, 2015by Katherine Baker8 Comments

Some of the best food inventions are a results of accidents. I stand by this theory. Like this Puppy Chow Granola that came about on a long day after a cookie fluke. I swear some of the craziest food combos are created when people drop things or try to make due with what they have around.

This salad is no different. It’s a creation inspired by happenstance. Allow me to explain. My sister is obsessed with making this salad with roasted shredded Brussels sprouts, lemon juice, apples, and dried cranberries. When I was at her house last week, she was slicing some lemon for the dressing. I then used the same knife to cut the apple. Then I nibbled on some apple. And I realized how delicious citrus juice tastes on cold, crunchy apple slices. Tangy, sweet perfection.

This lovely flavor combination inspired me to start rubbing leftover limes (I made a key lime pie for my bday on Saturday) on all my apple slices. Delicious. It’s a mash up that tastes refreshingly tropical.

While I was munchin on this for lunch a few days ago, I was also brainstorming what I should make for the January Recipe Redux challenge, which was “Start Smoking in 2015,” which is a pretty punny way to say we were encouraged to create dishes with smokey or spicy undertones. I decided to try the apple/lime combo with a variety of spices. I tried smoked paprika, spicy paprika, turmeric, curry, Sriracha and even taco sauce just to place with the whole spicy lime apple flavor palate (also, I’m weird and put hot sauce in many places it shouldn’t be). Anyways, chili powder was the standout winner. It adds an unexpected contrast to the sweet yet tangy Pink Lady apples. It’s kind of like those ladies who sell sliced mango with chili powder and hot sauce in Union Square. Except in the comfort of your own home and no hassle of carrying a zip-lock baggie of juicy drippy messy mangos down the street and/or awkwardly trying to consume them on the subway.

I reasoned that jicama would make a *~*delightful*~* crunchy companion to the apples. Next I threw in a little arugula for a pop of color, and some roasted sunflower seeds for an earthy flavor to balance the other taste elements going on, and and because in general I love nuts in salads (and everything). #nutcrazy. The salad ended up being a delicious, sweet, tangy, crunchy, spicy, and intriguing side dish that is totally addicting. It’s one of those things you want to just keep eating to try to figure it out. It’s a bit infatuating. Much like scrolling through pictures of your puppy on your cell phone.

I highly encourage you to step outside of your usual side-dish / salad comfort zone and give this recipe a go. It’s the ultimate combination of flavorful fruit, vegetables, seeds, and spices, and the flavor combination will inspire you to try new things. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Level: Easy

serves 2-4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup jicama, cut into matchsticks (1 small or 1/2 a large jicama)
1 1/2 cup pink lady apples (about 2 apples)
1 cup arugula or baby kale
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop jicama and apples into match-stick pieces of roughly even size. Place in a bowl. Juice limes and add lime juice. Sprinkle with chili powder and toss until all pieces of jicama and apple are evenly coated with lime juice.

2. Add arugula and sunflower seeds. Toss again. Sprinkle with dried cranberries if desired. You can also drizzle a bit of honey, agave, or maple syrup if you want to bump up the sweetness a bit.

3. EAT ! 😀

For more smoky, spicy dishes to heat up your January, click around below !

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vegan, vegetarian

Weekend Eats Recap: November 20-23rd, NYC

November 28, 2014November 28, 2014by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

So I’ve never done one of these posts before, where I recap what I ate for a few days. A lot of bloggers do it every day, or post weekly updates on every meal they ate that week. Personally I love to read these and I have no idea why. Why is it so darn interesting what someone you don’t even know in real life ate for a week or a day? I don’t know. Maybe because you can get inspired for new ideas based on something they ate? Or inspired to try a new restaurant or cuisine? I do not have the answer to such questions, but I thought I would try out the whole what-I-ate thing once on this blog and see how it went.

So heres what I ate from the evening of Thursday, November 20th-Sunday November 23rd while I was back home in good old NYC. Per usual, I ate a lot. I eat constantly. This might be why I’ve never done one of these posts before. I snack so often that I forget to take pics of like 80% of what I eat (yes, all my obnoxious food-instagramming is only a tiny portion of my actual overall food consumption). Anyways, here are my eats for those 3 days in photos and words. Honestly everything I had was great. And it made me excited and eager and anxious to return! NYC, I’ll be back soon ;-). In the meantime, here are my EATS:

Thursday, November 20th, 2014:

Breakfast:

2 slices Angelic Bakehouse Sprouted Raisin Bread (THE BEST bread EVER – has replaced my Ezikel habit…seriously try it; it’s softer and more delicious, and it’s local to my hometown, Milwaukee, although it is available at Whole Foods nationwide) + almond butter and a sliced banana. I also had coffee with soy creamer and chamomile tea on my way to work.

Snack:

a sliced pear with cinnamon and almond butter

Lunch:

Leftover spaghetti squash marinara, small salad, veggie burger on more Angelic Bakery bread with sriracha, and a big old glass of almond-coconut milk (trying to use things up before leaving for the weekend).

Snack on the plane from MKE–> NYC:

half a Kashi peanut butter bar, an apple, a banana, half an almond butter sandwich on more Angelic Bakery bread (#addicted)

Dinner:

Beyond Sushi takeout. I landed late at night (like 9:00pm) and got dropped off at the 14th street location to pick up sushi for my friend and I. I had the November Roll of the month, which had Sweet Persimmons, Roasted allspice Turnips, grilled Heriocot Verts, and was topped with Seaweed Salad. It wasn’t my favorite roll of the month (that would go to the one they had in August), but it was delicious none-the-less and fun to try Persimmons, which I’ve been meaning to give a whirl for a while. I also had my go-to favorite roll. The Sweet Tree, with Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, Alfafa sprouts, and 6-grain rice. AMAZING AS ALWAYS. I love you so much, Beyond Sushi.

Snack:

Remaining half of Kashi bar + a few bites of chocolate, after which I face-planted into a pillow and slept!

Friday, November 21th, 2014:

I woke up early and although I usually immediately eat and drink coffee, I was sleeping at a friends and didn’t have a kitchen to use. I had a meeting in Brooklyn at 10 and decided to take a train from Union Square and swing by the Farmer’s market on the way. I ended up grabbing stuff at Whole Foods, cause I saw it as a one-stop place for coffee and food and was running short on time.

Breakfast:

Coffee with soy milk, a big-old whole-wheat NYC bagel with peanut butter, and a giant organic Gala apple which was one of the best apples I’ve had in a while. I had to eat this breakfast on the train because I was so low on time, and I felt super obnoxious being that person. I figured it would be no biggie but the train ended up being SUPER packed, but my blood sugar was super low so I wallowed in a corner and ate my apple and half my bagel. Once I could see/think/again, the train was at the Wall Street stop, and like 90% of the people got off. And then I had a whole train car basically to myself to eat the remaining half of my bagel in peace. Lol. #alittlelate

Lunch:

After running around Brookyln and back to Manhattan and meeting a friend for coffee quickly, I ended up not eating until around 3 pm, by which time, I happened to be near the Union Square Whole Foods again. I was so hungry and grumpy and indecisive of what to eat, and I remembered I had a $50 Whole Foods giftcard on me so I opted to hit the EPIC Whole Foods hot/cold food bar for lunch. It was perfect because I had no idea what I was in the mood for and the millions of options could all end up in my bowl together. This is my favorite way to eat. Buffet styles are the best, cause I like to try EVERYTHING. I spent $12 on my mixture of salads and grain salads and tofu dishes and falafel chunks and dumplings. I also grabbed a sprouted roll and 3 Mast Brother’s bars and an unsweetened iced tea to use up my $50 giftcard. #freelunch sort of. #winning. I ate upstairs overlooking the park and charged my phone and sat down for a while and people watched. It ended up being perfect.

*this + a million other things at Whole Foods. YUM.*

Snack:

Bread’s Bakery. DAT BABKA DOE.

Snack #2:

A mini cupcake from Magnolia Bakery (they have minis now !!!)

Dinner:

I met two of my favorite people/friends Joanna and Cassie for dinner at Peacefood, a vegan restaurant in the village. It was late, I had walked 15 miles that day according to my iPhone tracker, and I was HUNGRY. Like, I needed a sandwich hungry. I ordered the Vegan Cheeseburger with Cashew Cheese, Avocado, Caramelized Onions, Sprouts, Tomato, Lettuce, and some drippy delicious sauce. I inhaled it.

IMG_1326_2 — *Vegan Cheeseburger at Peacefood NYC. SO GOOD.*

IMG_1314_2 — *best sandwich of my life. i inhaled it.*

We had dessert at Peacefood, too. Strawberry Shortcake and a giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich exploding with frosting. The 3 of us split these two. SO GOOD.

Saturday, November 22th, 2014:

Breakfast:

Shocking fact (not): I ended up leaving my purse at Peacefood, so I headed back in that direction early the next morning. The nearest subway station is Union Square, so I ended up, once again, grabbing some food there. I had the BEST Vegan Blueberry Muffin like, ever and another organic Gala Apple (it was just too good the day before). I have to recreate those muffins. I think they used spelt flour, and I think that did the trick. I ate that on my way to pick up purse and visited a friend who works at an East Village coffee shop, where I got some free coffee with soy milk and some free granola with soymilk. Yummies.

Snack:

banana purchased at a bodega #nyc and half a Kashi peanut butter bar

Lunch:

I ended up NEEDING food when I was at Dominque Ansel with friends later that day so I ordered real food there, which I’ve never done before. I had a delicious salad with Endive, Sprouts, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Pear, Caramelized Pecans, and a Truffle Vinaigrette. The salad was delicious and the Roasted Sweet Potatoes and caramelized nuts were so flavorful that I, thankfully, didn’t need that vinaigrette. Which was nice, because to me, that dressing had a very strong flavor, and was a bit too much for me. I like truffle, but only in small amounts. I found the dressing a bit overpowering, but enjoyed the salad nonetheless.

Salad at Dominque Ansel Bakery — *salad at Dominque Ansel Bakery*

I also had a DKA from Dominique Ansel:

And took a selfie while eating lunch with Dominique in the background. I’m really creepy. Whatever. I idolize him.

Dinner:

I met up with another amazing friend for dinner. We ended up at Peacefood again, which was honestly fine by me. The dinner was early and I’d eaten lunch and a pastry a few hours earlier, so I wanted something lighter. I ordered the Asian Greens Salad with Jicima, Tempeh, Carrots, Greens, and some delicious Peanut Ginger dressing. I’ve ordered this salad many times, and it’s always fresh, flavorful, and light-yet satisfying. It’s still my favorite salad there…minus perhaps when they have the Protein packed Kale Salad on the specials menu.

I wasn’t going to get dessert cause I had just had some, but then my friend ordered carrot cake and I ended up eating half of it because it was so fucking good. (Sorry Olivia…) Great meal, great conversation, great friend. 🙂
In other news, Amanda Seyfried (aka Karen from Mean Girls) was dining near us. I tried snapping one creeper pic as I sat down, but it was blurry and I felt rude attempting again, and was also soon distracted by food.

Bedtime Snack:

remaining half of Kashi peanut butter bar, more chocolate

Sunday, November 23rd, 2014:

Breakfast:

I grabbed some trendy pour-over coffee (with soy milk) at a hipster-y coffee place with my friend Cassie, and ate a banana and an apple and half another Vegan Blueberry Muffin to fuel me up for the day.

Lunch:

I met my friend Minhye for lunch at Chelsea Market. I tried to talk myself into eating something “different” but desperately wanted Beyond Sushi again. So I got it. I got a Mighy Mushroom Wrap and another Sweet Tree Roll. I’m not usually into mushrooms, but this wrap is honestly amazing. I get it without the mushroom-y sauce on top and ask for an extra hot sauce. It’s literally so good I almost cried eating it. It was randomly VERY nice out so we ate outside upstairs on The Highline. It was awesome.

And went for a stroll. The Highline Park is now fully open, and totally awesome. WALK IT!

Snack at the Airport:

Plane delays = grumpy/hungry me. I had a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee with soy milk, a whole-wheat bagel with vegan spread, and highly overpriced apple and banana. #airportfood. I also ended up eating an Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Bar and a Cashew Cookie Larabar that I found in my backpack. I love finding food in my backpack. What a win. I also had some tea and a mini bag of mini pretzels on the plane.

Snack at Home:

I got home around 11:30 and needed a second dinner before showering and going to bed. I ate a bunch of veggies with dip and crackers and another veggie burger with an Angelic Bakery whole-wheat wrap and hot sauce/ketchup and chopped lettuce. I then downed a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter and some almond coconut milk and called it a night.

So that’s it. All my eats last weekend. Lots of fruit and granola bars and carbs and veggies. Like 90% vegan. Pretty standard to my typical eating, but also more eating out than usual. In case you care, which you probably don’t. But it was kind of fun to recap it. Maybe I’ll do it again. Maybe not. That’s sort of the fun of having your own blog. You can experiment. I wonder if anyone is still reading. Doubtful. If you are, leave a comment below and I’ll send you a special surprise. Lol. Have a good day!!

xoxo,

K-Bakes

breakfast, vegan, vegetarian

Apple Cinnamon Duffins

September 22, 2014September 22, 2014by Katherine Baker9 Comments

Duffins. If you don’t know what a Duffin is, allow me to change your life: a Duffin is a hybrid muffin-doughnut. This is like the old-school Cronut before Cronuts were a thing. The OG hybrid, complete with a hybrid name. It’s basically a muffin doused in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Does any of that NOT sound appealing??? Exactly. They’re wonderful.

Duffins emerged as “the new Cronut” about 6 months ago in the media at a few bakeries and at Starbucks. This confused me greatly, because these are totally old school. My mom used to make Duffins from a recipe in a Wisconsin Magazine from like the 1950s. According to Pita (my mom) it’s an old Amish thing. And in high school my friend Josh and I would use his a cookbook his mom (Gretchen, who is a culinary/general icon of my world) got on her wedding day. We’d crack open the yellowing pages and hit up the Duffin recipe and/or the Blueberry Boy Bait. Yum.

I’m not sure the exact origin of the Duffin, but I know it’s older than both the Cronut and I, and I also am certain that it is a wondrous joy that you should make and eat. I have a lot of apples on hand from attending apple fest this weekend, so I decided to incorporate some into the Duffins, because who doesn’t love soft cooked apple chunks in muffins with cinnamon and nutmeg. 🙂

MmmMmM. Nutmeg is certainly a key player for these babies; don’t skip it. I also made them a bit healthier and vegan to make them more breakfast appropriate for my personal taste buds. But if you want more dessert-y Duffins, add 1/4 cup more sugar, and use all-purpose flour instead of whole-wheat. It’s all up to you. Recipes are just guidelines, after all, and as I’ve said before my main goal in blogging is simply to inspire.

Eat a Duffin. Watch Duff Goldman on Ace of Cakes. Or pretend you’re eating a Cronut. Sing the lyrics to Lady Gaga “Poker Face” replacing “bluffin’ with my muffin” with “bluffin’ with my Duffin.” Or just simply eat it with some tea and let its cinnamon sugar coating coat you with spice and sweetness for your day ahead. Duff on, friends!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Level: Easy

Yield: 8-12 Duffins

Ingredients – Duffins:

1/4 cup melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, Earth Balance nondairy spread, or butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup almond or soy milk
1 teaspoon vinegar (any kind will do)
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or all purpose)
1 cup oat flour (or all-purpose)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large apple, chopped
dash more cinnamon + 1 tablespoon sugar to coat apples

Ingredients – Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

2-3 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tray with disposable muffin cups or grease well.

2. In a small bowl, combine almond or soy milk and vinegar and allow to curdle. Set aside for at least 10 minutes. This will form a pseduo-buttermilk. Meanwhile…

3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt coconut oil or butter in the microwave. Whisk in sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla and applesauce and stir.

4. In a large bowl, combine flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine.

5. Pour oil/sugar/applesauce mix into the dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula. When fully combined, add the pseudo 1/4 cup at a time, mixing gently until a loose batter forms.

6. Peel and chop apple into small cubes and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of granulated sugar and a generous dash of cinnamon to the apples. Toss well with a spoon until all the apple chunks are coated. You can add the apples to the batter in two ways: either stir them directly in, or scoop enough batter into a muffin tin to cover the bottom, spoon a little apple mixture (to form middle apple center) and cover apples with more batter. If you just stirred them straight in, fill each muffin tin about 3/4 way full with batter. If you layered, nice work. Still aim to have each cup 3/4 full.

7. Pop muffin tray full of Duffins into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until browned, hollow to a finger tap, and/or a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean upon removal.

8. Allow muffins to cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with a fork.

9. Using the microwave in 30 second increments, melt butter or coconut oil in a small microwave-friendly bowl. Take each muffin and roll it gently into the melted butter. Use you fingers to spread a light coat gently all over the muffin.

10. Take the butter-kissed muffin and roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture until it gets a lovely coat of delicious goodness.

11.Place on a cooling wrack until cooled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (longer might get soggy) or put them straight to the face. Enjoy! #apples

gluten free, Recipe Redux, vegan, vegetarian

Pumpkin-Apple Spice Fruit Roll-Ups !

September 21, 2014September 21, 2014by Katherine Baker22 Comments

Another beautiful fall day = another reason to put fall flavors in EVERYTHING. Fall is my favorite flavor season. I practically live for squashes and sweet potatoes and root vegetables of all sorts so when they are at their peak of bounty and freshness I am basically a full-grown kid in a vegetable-candy store. Do you know what else I love almost as much as fall veggies? Apples. Which also happen to gracefully be at their freshness peak in fall. C’mon now – one bite of any fresh fall apple and you know exactly what I’m talking about. Fall apples just taste different. Aka fresher. More like the orchard. Juicier. Tangier. Sweeter. More magical. Fresher. All at once. They are perfect.

So let’s hear it for fall produce. #gofiber. But you know what else is wonderful about fall? PIE SEASON. To quote my sister, “pie fixes everything,” and in our family we believe that all life moments are pie-appropriate. However, in the fall, they seem to pop up more on menus and in homes, particularly those that follow the fall-flavor theme. Pumpkin and apple are regular Thanksgiving favs, and all-year-round favorites for me.

So why not – when presented with a dehydrator theme for September for The Recipe Redux – combine all the flavors of apple and pumpkin into a yummy, portable snack that’s junk free and nutritious? And thus, Pumpkin-Apple Spice Fruit Roll Ups were born. Inspired by pie, made healthy and delicious by nature/you and your oven. These are easy as, well, pie, but a great way to give you a glucose boost in the afternoon without making you feel sluggish and icky. They’re perfect study or hiking snacks and make magnificent adorable additions to lunchboxes. What they lack in flourescent color, they make up for in flavor. You won’t regret making these, I promise.

{A side note about The Recipe Redux – the Recipe Redux is a super cool network of bloggers who make healthier, delicious recipes and submit them into contests every month based on a theme chosen by the group. It is the only recipe contest founded by registered dietitians ! I’m inspired by many of the blogs and hope you’ll creep around the links below and find some other good stuff. I personally am excited to see the other dehydrator recipes and I’m VERY thrilled to be a part of it this month and looking forward to entering in months to come!}

Back to the roll-ups: they’re incredibly simple to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to dehydrate in your oven while they fill your entire house with magnificent spicy-sweet-pie aromas. If you can hold out for those 3 hours though, you’ve got yourself a week’s worth of delicious goodies at your fingertips. You can do it. Just remember, pie [flavored things] fix everything.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Level: easy

Ingredients:

3 large apples
3 tablespoons water
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Directions:

1. Peel apples and chop into small cubes. Place in a large saucepan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (about 3 tablespoons) and cook until very tender, about 20-30 minutes. You could also do this in the microwave, using a microwave safe bowl and cooking increments of 2-3 minutes, checking tenderness after each increment.

2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cool apples in the refrigerator, then place in a food processor or blender with the canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Blend until a smooth baby-food-like purée.

3. Line a baking sheet with a sil-pat or parchment paper. Pour apple-pumpkin mixture over the baking sheet and using a spatula, spread mixture to make a thin, even coat covering the pan.

4. Place in the oven for 2.5-3 hours, until the fruit-roll ups look leathery, putty-like and have darkened a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

5. Use a kitchen shears or sharp paring knife to cut into strips or rolls. If you want to make roll-ups with the traditional peel-off wrapper component and everything, place first transfer the whole fruit leather from the sil-pat onto a clean sheet of wax paper, then cut into one-inch strips with a kitchen sheers. Roll up and place in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy~!

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5 Easy and Healthy Ways to Feel Like You’re Eating Dessert for Breakfast

December 29, 2013by Katherine Baker1 Comment

Here are 5 super yummy, super fast breakfasts that taste like dessert. Which I’m a big fan of. This article was originally written for and published on NYU Spoon. You can check it out here.

Breakfast Cookie for One

“Cookies for breakfast?” Yes! No, it’s not Cookie Crisp cereal; in fact, it’s much more delicious and has fiber, whole grains, and healthy fats that, unlike the sugary cereal, will actually keep you full until lunchtime. This is a base recipe that can be jazzed up with whatever fruits, nuts, jams and nut butters you have around your apartment. Use flavored oatmeal packets for an extra flavor kick (maple brown sugar flavor with almond butter and pecans makes for an excellent combination) but if you do, reduce or omit the additional sugar. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oat or one packet of flavored oatmeal
1 tablespoon nut butter or coconut oil.
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg whites
mix ins: chopped fresh or dried fruit, nuts, a teaspoon of jam

Directions:
1. Place oats in a small bowl. Add nut butter or coconut oil (coconut oil will need to be melted in the microwave), baking soda, brown sugar, and honey. Mix well.
2. Add egg whites to oat mixture.
3. Add mix-ins of your choice. Mix.
4. Gather into a ball of “cookie dough” and place on a small plate. Smush down the dough to make a flat cookie shape. Spritzing the plate with non stick spray (optional).
5. Microwave on high for 1-3 minutes until browned and fluffy. Allow to cool briefly and enjoy.

Banana Cream Pie

Bananas and Greek Yogurt are a match made in heaven. Topped with a warm crispy toaster waffle as the “pie crust,” digging your spoon through this twist on a classic parfait is like just like digging through a personal banana cream pie. Make it your own with your favorite flavor of Greek yogurt (recommended: vanilla or coconut).

Ingredients:
1 6oz vanilla, plain, or coconut Greek Yogurt
1 banana
1 toaster waffle
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon honey
optional: coconut shreds
Directions:
1. Place toaster waffle in the toaster.
2. Remove lid from yogurt. Slice bananas and half of it add to yogurt. Mix.
3. Add coconut shreds or nuts if desired
4. Spread almond or peanut butter on waffle and top with remainder of sliced banana, honey, and coconut shreds (if desired).
5. Place toaster waffle on top of yogurt cup.
6. Eat by spooning through the waffle “crust,” and dolloping with the “pie filling” below. Yum!

Chocolate Breakfast Pudding

Pudding is delicious. Unfortunately, dessert pudding is often high in fat, and store-bought pudding is often full of sugar and preservatives. So, when you wake up craving something smooth chocolatey, make this recipe instead. The Greek yogurt is rich in protein, calcium, and B vitamins. The cocoa powder helps thicken the already rich-tasting Greek yogurt, creating a consistency somewhere between pudding and frosting. A surprisingly small amount of sweetener is all that’s needed to make this taste like a treat. Goes great with fresh berries or bananas.

Ingredients:
1 6oz plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey
raspberries or strawberries to top (optional)

Directions:
1. Add cocoa powder to Greek Yogurt and mix thoroughly until the powder is well dispersed in the yogurt and yogurt is free of clumps.
2. Add sweetener and mix again.
3. Top with fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp for One

With the weather getting colder, sometimes there’s nothing more comforting than a warm breakfast. This recipe is an easier but just as delicious play on apple crisp, and takes only a few minutes to prepare. It’s also healthy enough to enjoy every day, and can work as a great study snack or dessert.

Ingredients:
1 apple
1 packet of flavored oatmeal (recommended: apple cinnamon or cinnamon spice)
a dash of cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey, and/or brown sugar to top (optional)

Directions:
1. Chop apple into small pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and mix.
2. Empty flavored oatmeal packet directly over the chopped apples. Drizzle one tablespoon of water over the top of the oatmeal. Do not add any more water (the moisture of the apples will be plenty).
3. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes, until apples are tender and oats on top appear crispy.
4. Allow to cool briefly, then top with honey or brown sugar and enjoy.

Waffles’n’Dinges Spinoff

Sure, everyone at NYU knows exactly when and where the Waffles’n’Dinges truck parks on campus (Mondays, right in front of Stern), but let’s face it: the Wafles truck, while delicious, is a bit pricey and perhaps not the most nutritious breakfast option before a long day of studying. Fuel up with this healthier version (which even includes a healthy homemade version of the famous Speculoos cookie spread!) and be able to walk by those wafting waffle scents on Washington Square South without a second thought.

Ingredients:
1 toaster waffle
For the “Speculoos”:
1 graham cracker
1 tablespoon almond or sunflower butter
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon honey or agave
1 tablespoon greek yogurt
“Dinges” of your choice (ie: sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, whipped cream)

Directions:
1. Place waffle in toaster.
2. Assemble the speculoos. Start by crushing the graham cracker. This can be done by breaking it into small pieces, placing it in a plastic bag, then smashing it with a large spoon until into small crumbs. A food processor can also be used for this. Place in a small bowl.
3. Add almond or sunflower butter, greek yogurt, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Mix until well combined into a paste. If the spread is to thick or crumbly, add a bit more greek yogurt and/or honey until paste reaches desired consistency (look for a peanut-butter like spread consistency).
4. Top waffle with “Speculoos” and add your “Dinges” on top of that.
5. Dollop with whipped cream on a test day.